Umbrella tables are a popular feature of pools, restaurants and porches, especially where the weather is nice. Such tables typically have an umbrella which is held by a ground weight and a separate table with a center hole in which the umbrella can be placed. Umbrella tables can be quite large, and suitable for seating many people for dinner, the umbrella providing a nice shade for the table.
While the charm of umbrella tables is well known, it is often desirable to have an umbrella by itself, without a table, such as what one might use at a beach. Even where umbrella tables are used, it may still be desirable to have additional trays that are separate from the table itself, and it is known that trays can be supported by the table.
It is also known that shelves and the like can be mounted to umbrellas or other poles that are not supported by a separate table. However, such shelves typically are rather flimsy, meaning they cannot hold much weight, or they are either permanent or not readily removable from the pole, or even cannot be easily separated from a pole.
The present invention seeks to provide a versatile, strong, easily attachable and detachable pole shelf that can be attached to poles of different sizes, and even to square poles, while offering advantages not provided by previous pole shelves.